White House plans health care push, staffing [CORRECTED]

By BEN SMITH

04/16/2010 04:29 PM EDT

Top White House officials told Democratic Senators yesterday that they're planning to [turn the attention of a very senior] -- but unnamed -- communications hand to help defend health care legislation, a source familiar with the briefing said.

[The staffer will focus on "a government-wide apolitical public information campaign to ensure people and businesses understood where and how to access information and benefits," Pfeiffer clarifies to me. Pfeiffer declined to say whether the job would be filled by a new hire or an existing staffer.]

Pollsters Geoff Garin and Joel Benenson,and White House aides David Axelrod, Dan Pfeiffer, Phil Schiliro, and Jim Messina addressed the Democratic Policy Committee's regular Thursday lunch in the Mansfield Room to outline the Democratic National Committee's $50-million electoral plan, and to discuss the political calendar and the defense of health care.

Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, said they expected to announce a very senior, and well known, communications hire for the push on health care messaging, the source said. The messaging will -- as it has -- focus on "deliverables" in the legislation, like a small-business tax credit and other features, Pfeiffer said.

Messina outlined the DNC's plan to spend $50 million on the midterms, discussing work with constituencies, new media, voter registration and targeting, and early voting, and used Ohio as an example, the source said.

The work, he promised, would move elections by "a couple of percentage points," the source said.

CORRECTION: Pfeiffer tells me he was referring to giving health care the full-time attention of a senior aide -- not making a new hire.